Self Directed Learning, Day 2

I'm not going to lie, this concept still makes me nervous. The idea of child-led anything actually makes me nervous. What am I suppose to do? How will I know it is working? Are we just going to make a big mess? 

I got started on this idea after meandering through this blog: http://www.aneverydaystory.com/australian-homeschooling-blog/

She seems lovely, and I would like to meet her. And then I read through "Project-Based Learning" as soon as I could get it from the library. What I enjoy about the book is it breaks down how to learn, and it is not really just for kids. It is meant to be a family affair. We talk about life-long learning enough to gag on it, but doing it is a whole different thing. 

I also really like this mommy blogger, who is lovely in a completely different way: 

http://www.catholicallyear.com/p/about.html

There are so many good ways to homeschool, and they don't have to look alike, at all. And really, I don't think they should. How I teach one kid is completely different from how I teach another kid. 

So, today, I pulled out the art supplies and let the boys have at it. Joe still enjoys the goggly eyes and watching things drip. We painted today because that is what Rae wanted to do. 

"I'm making a whirlpool. Inside they will be sucked down and won't find their way out!" 

After Rae wandered off, Joe wanted to paint, too.  

Maybe you can tell that I gave Stomp Stomp beans for playing and he preferred throwing. 

The green stuff on Joe's face is a combination of nose boogies and spinach-influenced puree. And Stomp likes to join him. Sometimes he eats the puree, too. Joe makes sure that I share with the baby. 

After a quick bathroom break, I came back to find more self-directed learning... applesauce. 

Yum! 

So, is it working? I don't know, but the boys appreciate the time to do something creative.

Self-Directed Learning, Day 1

Yesterday I read a fantastic book that I really don't know how to use, "Project-Based Homeschooling" by Lori Pickert, which is about self-directed learning. You give your child materials and then sit attentive with a journal in hand to write down what your child does and help him winnow out any potential long-term projects. I think the idea is to mentor your kid as he finds things he wants to explore. 

Cool idea, I just have no idea how to do it. Especially since I do not work well with chaos, and lots of materials in easy reach of children under 5 sounds fraught with chaos.

But, I tried it today. Well, as best I could. 

I pulled out the tub of art stuff and had the boys sit around the dining table... and then sat with my journal and .... watched. 

Rae started by drawing a gumball machine and he wanted to know how to spell "gumballs", so I wrote it for him on a piece of paper and he copied it onto his. He talked about how the "s" was hard to make and it looked like a "5".  When he wandered off to do something else, I asked him what he wanted to work on tomorrow during project time, he said, "I want to play on an airplane next time". 

Don't know how that one is going to work. 

Joe is trickier. He's a nonverbal three year old. So we sign and do a lot of guess and check to figure out what he wants. Today, he wanted the Elmer's glue, and he watched in rapt attention as it drizzled onto his paper. He added a few lines and some goggly eyes, but mostly he watched the glue drizzle onto the paper. It's going to be drying for awhile. 

He did, though, ask me to open his marker. He signed "open" and "please". I usually have to prompt him by saying what he needs, but he beat me to it. 

Stomp Stomp ate a blue marker, crushed up some graham crackers, and then scaled down his high chair solo. 

Yay for self-directed learning! 

A Week in the Life ...

So, with this picture of Caleb to lead out... let's look back at the week! 

The boys love looking out their bedroom window. We put Mr. Graff's trunk in front of it to protect the screen (ha!). This week I found my keys thrust out the bottom of this window (no more keys for Caleb!). The window goes floor to ceiling and everyone loves to sit and watch cars, or garbage trucks, or Joe's bus in the morning. 

Rae's starting "Joy School" (a preschool run by moms) next week! To celebrate, we went out and got him his own backpack. I'm not actually teaching part of Joy School, and a friend in the ward is picking Rae up and dropping him off. After picking up a backpack, though, we had to go to the park and play. 

Caleb and Mr. Graff love the spinny cups. 

I kept trying to get a picture of how elated Caleb is to go round and round with Dad. I think this is the closest I got... 

Rae is ever the limber monkey. And usually tries to pick on kids twice his size. 

Booty shot. 

Non-booty shot. 

I think Rae must enjoy the blood rushing to his head because his favorite thing to do is hang or stand upside down. 

Mr. Graff got out the dry beans and had the boys play with them. 

We did some shopping. Picked up apples, paper shredder, and chocolate. The important things in life. 

Mr. Graff kept them running all day, walked to the library and park, went shopping all afternoon, and after baths, Rae came to listen to scriptures in his towel .... and fell asleep. 

Sunday is almost always a circus at church. My favorite part of this week's circus was watching Mr. Graff try to tame Caleb's bed-head (which was spectacular) with water from his sippy cup. Joe had a faux hawk in the top middle of his head, which I tried to spit down to a look I call "civil dishevelment". I would have laughed, but Rae was trying to make my skirt into his own personal tent. 

Thankfully, this week ended on a nice walk, 

and almost everyone walked, almost the whole way.